The Treasures of ArAmed
by Curlyjimsam
Summary: The TARDIS takes the Third Doctor and Jo to the planet ArAmed, where they embark on a quest for Queen ElMedr, battle with fierce jungle dragons, take part in a highspeed flying car chase and come facetoface with the mysterious ArSetm.
1. Part 1

**Doctor Who: The Treasures of Ar-Amed  
****By Curlyjimsam  
**_Part One_

"Well, this isn't Metebelis Three, is it?" asked the Doctor, rubbing his neck.

"_I_ don't know, you didn't exactly tell me what to expect …" replied Jo, sounding frustrated.

The Doctor smiled at her. "You'll know Metebelis Three when you see it, Jo. Everything there is _blue_."

Jo giggled. The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Is something funny?"

"Oh no, Doctor, it's just the way you _said_ it …" Taking a deep breath, Jo continued, "This place doesn't look very blue, does it? Even the sky's a sort of purple colour …"

"Precisely how I managed to deduce that this place isn't the one we were aiming for. Close the TARDIS door, Jo."

Jo shut the door of the police box lightly behind them. "So, where are we then?"

"Well, it's some sort of planet … I suggest we ask someone."

"But there isn't anyone _to _ask …"

"We'd better look then, hadn't we?"

The Doctor strode off down the beaten track that stretched out in front of them, Jo scurrying along at his heels. "What are these strange plants?" she asked, looking around wide-eyed at the pinky-red wheatlike vegetation that was growing in fields to either side of the path.

"Looks like some sort of crop. I suspect the natives use it to make bread or something."

"Urgh … red bread!"

"I should take you to the planet Quinnis; they have green bread there. And I've actually been to quite a few places where the bread's bright yellow, can you picture that?"

"I suppose on Metebelis Three the bread's blue, isn't it?" Jo asked cheekily.

"Now Jo, that's just getting silly. I say, look at those!" The Doctor was pointing towards a field a few hundred yards ahead of them, where the lush, rust-coloured grass was being grazed upon by a flock of small animals each with a thick fluffy coat of pinkish wool.

"What are they? Sheep?"

"Something not unlike them," replied the Doctor. "Walk carefully now, we don't want to scare them – for all we know, they might be the dominant species on this planet!"

But the sheeplike creatures showed no sign of intelligence, and most carried on chewing at the grass as they walked past, with those closest to the visitors bounding away in panic before resuming their meal.

"Perhaps not …" said the Doctor. "Hang on, this looks like it might be able to tell us where we are."

A perfectly ordinary looking man had appeared over the horizon, and was approaching them up the track. He was dressed in a white shirt made from some sort of plant fibres and loose blue trousers. His skin was fairly dark, and he had an impressive black moustache, but in general he wouldn't have looked at all out of place on Earth.

As the man drew close, the Doctor stopped, laying a hand on Jo's shoulder as he did so. He raised his other arm. The man greeted him in return with a grunt and a nod and carried on walking.

"Excuse me, my good fellow!" said the Doctor, turning back round to face the man's retreating back. The native seemed to decide he was unable to ignore him any longer and turned round to face him with a sigh.

"What you want?"

"I was wondering, could you by any chance tell me which planet we are on?"

"What? Didja say which _planet_?" The man clearly wasn't used to people asking this sort of question.

The Doctor was not flustered by this attitude. "Yes, if you don't mind."

"You aliens or summing?" the man asked sarcastically.

"You could say that. If you don't mind, we're in rather a hurry, so …"

"Well, I'm in an 'urry too, ain't I, so I s'pose I'd better answer your question. We's on Ar-Amed, ain't we?"

The Doctor smiled with dawning comprehension. "Thankyou very much, my good sir. We are indebted to you for your service."

"Thankyou!" Jo chipped in.

"A pleasure," replied the man, rolling his eyes. "Well, I'll be gettin' on my way, won't I?"

He turned to continue his trek up the path, but before he could get very far the Doctor called after him again. "Excuse me! Could you answer one more question?"

The man turned back round. "Aye?"

"Would you mind telling me what _year _it is?"

The man looked around as if he was expecting someone to jump out from behind a bush and announce it was all a big practical joke. "What year?" he repeated.

"Yes, if you could."

The man paused, then seemed to decide he may as well answer. "Well, it's the third year of the reign of Queen El-Medr, which makes it …" He scratched his head, immersed in some calculation, "… which makes it one thousand one hundred and twelve years since the coronation of Ar-Tarmak the Great. Now I'm afraid I've got to get goin' …"

He turned and stomped off without another word.

"Come on, Jo," said the Doctor quietly, steering her in the opposite direction. After he seemed confident that the man was out of earshot, he continued, "Just as I thought."

"What did you think?"

"If this is Ar-Amed and it's eleven hundred years since King Ar-Tarmak, then the natives haven't discovered space travel yet. No wonder that man seemed to think we were some kind of April fool!"

"You mean you _knew _we were on this Ah-Ra-Med place all along and you didn't say?" asked Jo incredulously.

"I had a suspicion. Modesty forbade me from voicing it."

"You were scared you'd get it wrong, weren't you?" Jo teased.

"Possibly." The Doctor smiled.

They continued up the track for a few minutes without talking. Jo broke the silence with a question.

"Did he say that this great king whatsit was called Ar-Tarmac?"

"Ar-Tarmak, yes," corrected the Doctor. "Put the stress on the last syllable."

"But like what they put on roads on Earth?"

"No, Jo, nothing like that at all."

"I didn't think so, 'cause they don't seem to have any tarmac here, do they? My shoes are getting all muddy!"

"The people of Ar-Amed are still relatively primitive in some respects, yes. But in others – well, you'll have to wait and see."

"Wait and see what, Doctor?" Jo seemed excited. "You mean it isn't all red fields and pink sheep?"

"Not entirely, no." The Doctor was smiling again. "You wait until we get to one of the cities. You'll be quite impressed, I think."


	2. Part 2

_Part Two_

They were walking for another hour before any sort of city came into view, although for a pleasantly large fraction of that time they found that the path wound its way along a cliff-top overlooking a beautiful mauve sea that reflected the light from the great white sun like a carpet of crystals.

"You know," announced the Doctor, "next to Metebelis Three this isn't a bad place to come."

"Oh look!" exclaimed Jo as they rounded the top of a small hill and their first glimpse of the Amedian city appeared. It was a wonderful sight, numerous white and pale yellow domes and minarets rising up out of the reddish fields. "It's quite nice, isn't it?"

"One of the most delightful little planets in this galaxy," agreed the Doctor, stopping to take in the view. "If we get a little closer we should be able to see why I was so prepared to come so far from the TARDIS."

They didn't have to go far. A few dozen yards later Jo suddenly exclaimed, "Is that a _flying car_?"

"Precisely. I was rather hoping we'd be able to hire one."

"You like your cars, don't you? But I thought you said they were _primitive_?"

"In some respects. Space-travel, for instance, as I mentioned."

"They don't even have proper roads!"

"Who needs proper roads when your cars don't touch the ground, Jo? Come on, we're nearly there."

As they drew closer to the little city they found themselves coming closer to more people, some dressed plainly like the man the Doctor had asked for the year and others more flamboyantly in colourful robes and headdresses. These people gave strange looks at the Doctor's frilled shirt, cloak and smoking jacket and Jo's short skirt and leather boots. Above their heads flew more cars like the one they had seen earlier – wheelless, often brightly-coloured, some box-shaped and others like miniature flying saucers, mostly without roofs and thus allowing the bright sun to shine in all its glory onto the heads of the cars' occupants. "I'd rather like a vehicle like one of those myself," commented the Doctor.

Jo giggled. "Imagine flying around on Earth in one of those!"

"It could be worse, Jo, just remember that. Here we are."

They had entered the town by what seemed to be the main road, a sandy street running straight as a dart to an open square with a large white fountain at its centre.

"That must be the town square," said the Doctor. "I suggest we go straight there. They'll probably be a nice café or something. I'm absolutely starving, aren't you?"

"Oh yes, absolutely," Jo agreed, and they carried on down the street. The pretty buildings on either side were tightly packed, with the occasional narrow alleyway running between them. The inhabitants of the city seem to keep a lot of animals – big bluish cow-like creatures, the small pink sheep, and little green birds like chickens – but they were not tied up or fenced off and ran around the street as freely as the myriad bustling people who seemed to be the inhabitants of the town. Next to the houses stood clay pots of all sizes and filled with all sorts of goods – grain, sparkling water, silver and gold.

"This is a wonderful place, isn't it?" asked Jo, staring wide-eyed round at the sights on all sides.

"It's not bad, no," replied the Doctor, looking back over his shoulder where a man was attempting to drive one of the cow-like creatures away from a pot full of steaming green soup with a stick.

After a few minutes they reached the square. The Doctor went straight over to the fountain and bathed his face in the cool water. "Ah, that's better," he said. "I was starting to feel rather warm. That looks like a restaurant over there … coming, Jo?"

"But Doctor, we don't have any money!"

"Don't worry, I'm prepared." The Doctor took a few gold coins from his pocket.

"Doctor! Don't tell me you stole that money!" Jo was horrified.

"Of course not, Jo. If you look closely, it's not even Amedian money at all. Just a few generic coins I carry with me in case they come in useful. They may not be standard currency, but they're not going to turn down real gold, are they?"

"No, I don't suppose so …"

They headed towards the little restaurant in the corner of the square. People were sitting on tables under a shady canopy outside and eating vigorously.

"Looks tasty," remarked Jo.

"I should certainly hope so. Oh, good day, sir!"

A man in a long scarlet robe and carrying a silver-tipped spear had stepped out in front of them. Two similarly dressed and armed men were lurking in the shadows behind them.

"Do you mind answering a few questions?" the first man asked in a deep, rasping voice.

"That depends what they are, doesn't it?" smiled the Doctor. "I don't see why not. Come on, Jo, let's get out of here, we don't want to disturb people whilst they're eating. We can come back later."

The red-robed man smiled unpleasantly. The Doctor let the way back over to the fountain, and Jo and the others followed him.

"So, gentlemen, what was it you wanted to ask us?"

"What are your names?" the leader of the men with spears asked, a malicious tone in his voice.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Jo," the Doctor replied pleasantly.

"What are _your_ names?" asked Jo. The Doctor put out his hand to quieten her, but the man seemed content to answer her question.

"I am Ar-Moqi, an officer of the Royal Guard of Queen El-Medr. These are Ar-Redn and Ar-Bilu, also officers of the Guard."

"Pleased to meet you," said the Doctor. "May I ask why you have been sent here?"

"I believe Captain Ar-Moqi was asking the questions," said Ar-Redn viciously, gripping his spear.

"But of course. My apologies. Captain?"

"Where do you come from?"

"My companion and I are travellers in time and space. We arrived on your planet earlier today."

Both Ar-Bilu and Ar-Redn seemed to find this idea preposterous, but Ar-Moqi pressed on.

"Why?"

The Doctor was not fazed by the question. "We are tourists, nothing more."

"We shall see," the captain replied. "Rumours of two strange travellers have already reached the capital."

"That man," breathed Jo, "he must have –"

"Quiet, Jo," whispered the Doctor. "If you met two aliens in a field you'd be bound to tell your friends, wouldn't you?"

"Well, I suppose so …"

"Silence!" barked Ar-Moqi. "The Queen has demanded your audience. Come with us!"

They had no choice; the other officers grabbed one of the time travellers each and marched them along in Ar-Moqi's wake as he strode over to a large flying car, black in colour, that was hovering in the furthest corner of the square.

"Get off me, get off!" Jo struggled against Ar-Bilu's firm hold, but the Doctor tried to calm her.

"Don't worry, Jo; the Amedians are normally peaceful people. Queen El-Medr is renowned as one of their most noble and benevolent rulers of all time. At her death –"

He stopped. Ar-Redn was giving him a funny look.

"What in the name of Ar-Tarmak are you talking about?"

"Are you denying that El-Medr is a good queen?"

"No …" The officer was embarrassed. "I mean – she's only been on the throne three years, hasn't had much chance to prove herself, has she?"

They were bundled into the flying car, their hands tied with rope behind their backs. "We'll be flying fifty feet above the ground," Ar-Moqi murmured. "If they try to jump out, they won't survive the fall."

For all the indignity of the ropes, it was an exhilarating ride. The car rose slowly until it was hovering above the roofs of the surrounding buildings, then shot through the air like a jet. Jo's hair was blown backwards in the wind and the Doctor looked as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself. They found themselves speeding back across the fields across which they had come, the car travelling as quickly and smoothly as a bullet.

"This is right at the top of Amedian technology," the Doctor whispered to Jo. "The Royal Guard will only take the best."

After just ten minutes a huge city came into view, far greater than the little town from which they had come. Like that town, it was a jumble of domes and minarets, but this was a real city – a vast metropolis, stretching out in all directions, from this distance almost more like a hugely intricate model than a real-life settlement.

The craft flew lower as they approached the city walls, which surrounded it on all sides, twenty feet high, but the royal officers met no resistance as they passed through the impressively constructed front gate. They flew on up a great street that was even busier than that in the small town, people and animals intermingling like bees in a giant hive. The capital seemed to be built on the same basic plan as the smaller town: eight roads formed a star centred on an immense central square; between them, narrower streets and alleyways provided a labyrinth of interconnected travel routes. But here, there were great pinkish parks and mauve lakes, and at the centre of the main square the biggest spectacle of all – a perfectly circular lake in which sat an island with a white-domed, many towered palace. It was towards this which they were heading.

"Bravo, bravo!" exclaimed the Doctor as they came to a halt in the main square next to a grand drawbridge leading up to the front of the palace. "That was a most excellent ride."

Ar-Moqi clubbed him around the back with the handle of his spear. The Doctor grimaced. "He's lucky I'd don't use my Venusian aikido," he whispered to Jo. "Alright, alright, we can walk by ourselves, thankyou very much," he said irritably to Ar-Redn.

More red-robed officials guarded the entrance to the palace, but they let the three Royal Guards and their two prisoners through without a fuss. Ar-Moqi knocked once on the golden door, the height of two men, and it swung open, revealing a long, colourful corridor decorated with beautiful patterns and carvings.

"Wow," breathed Jo.

"This is one of the wonders of the planet," the Doctor told her. "We're very lucky to be allowed in."

They were frogmarched along the corridor, past yet more guards and numerous doorways on every side. Portraits and busts of former Amedian kings and queens lined the walls. The Doctor named each one to Jo as they passed: "Gahin the Last … Ar-Tarmak the Great … El-Idl the Beautiful … Ar-Niheq the Strong …"

They reached the end of the corridor, where stood another great gold door. "The most excellent and majestic Queen El-Medr will receive you in the Grand Throne Room beyond this door," Ar-Moqi announced, as the other guards untied their hands. "You will not speak unless addressed directly by Her Majesty."

He pushed open the door. "Enter Her Majesty's presence," he hissed.

The Doctor and Jo walked forward, into a massive hall. The patterns and portraits of the corridor were almost entirely absent here: the room was vast and almost empty, constructed from huge, imposing marble blocks and columns. At the far end, however, in front of a scarlet curtain, sat a beautiful, many coloured throne that eclipsed any of the artworks they had seen previously. On the throne sat a young, black-haired woman in a long blue robe.

Ar-Moqi bustled forward and bowed low in front of the queen. "Speak," she commanded in a voice that betrayed her as a natural ruler.

"Your Majesty, I present you the supposed extra-terrestrials – Ar-Doktr and El-Djo."

The Doctor bowed and Jo gave a clumsy curtsey. El-Medr smiled.

"You have my thanks, captain. You may leave."

Ar-Moqi hurried out backwards, and shut the door quietly behind him.

"Greetings, Ar-Doktr, El-Djo." The young queen nodded at each of them in turn. "Is it true that you come from another world?"

"It is so, my lady," said the Doctor. "We bring tidings."

Jo looked as if she was about to burst into giggles. The Doctor frowned at her.

"You do not intend us harm?" asked El-Medr.

"No, we are but travellers, my lady," the Doctor replied. "We intend you and your planet no harm."

"I was informed that you wished to bring about my overthrow," said the queen sternly.

The Doctor looked puzzled. "Who told you this?"

"My advisor. He does not wish to be seen. He, too, is from another world. There were rumours of two strange travellers in the city. He recognised your descriptions. He told us you were a grave danger to us."

"I assure you we are nothing of the sort," replied the Doctor, rubbing his neck. "If we may see this gentleman …"

"I have told you, he does not wish to be seen."

"Very well. At least tell us his name."

The queen looked momentarily indecisive, then said, "We call him Ar-Setm."

The Doctor stared at her. "It's not a name I recognise … hang on …"

"Doctor?" Jo spoke for the first time. "What is it?"

The Doctor ignored her. "Your Majesty, I must warn you that if this man is who I think he is …"

"I am not prepared to argue the matter further."

"Well, you might as well execute us now then. And yourself, for that matter. You're likely all doomed. Wherever this man goes, destruction follows in his wake."

"I trust you, Ar-Doktr," said the queen. "I do not know why, but I trust you."

The Doctor smiled. "I often have that effect on people. Alternatively they seem obsessed with the idea that I'm some sort of villain – as this man I'm talking about is!"

"Tell me, Ar-Doktr, why have you come to Ar-Amed? What do you seek on our planet?"

"We seek nothing, my lady," answered the Doctor. "We are merely travellers, as I told you. We arrived here by something of an accident, as a matter of fact. Your Majesty, I implore you –"

El-Medr cut through him. "What do you know of our planet, Ar-Doktr?"

"Too much to easily relate," the Doctor told her. He paused, as if he had had an idea, and seemed to be muttering to himself. "The treasure … what about the treasure …"

"What are you saying?" El-Medr enquired briskly.

"He's talking about treasure, Your Majesty," said Jo. "I don't know what he means, though …"

"Thankyou, El-Djo," said the queen. "Treasure, Ar-Doktr?"

"The fabled treasures of Ar-Amed, my lady."

El-Medr laughed. "The treasures are but a myth. They do not exist."

"Your Majesty, I am a traveller not only in space but also in time. I know your planet's future as well as I know its past. I perhaps shouldn't tell you this, but you are destined to become one of Ar-Amed's greatest rulers of all time. This is in no small part due to the rediscovery, in the third year of your reign, of the treasures of Ar-Amed."

El-Medr was staring at him open-mouthed. "This cannot be true, what you are saying."

"I assure you, my lady, it is. Do you ever plan to bear children?"

"I do … of course I do … but I don't see …"

"Have you decided yet upon names?"

"Yes … I have not told anyone, but I have." The queen seemed confused by this strange turn in the conversation.

"You will bear a daughter by the name of El-Amra. She will become El-Amra the Fair, a great queen."

El-Medr shook her head. "El-Amra … but that is just the name I have chosen for my first child, should she be female. Ar-Amr for a boy, El-Amra for a girl. But I have told no-one this …"

"As such, only a telepath or someone with knowledge of future events could have known. Trust me, Your Majesty …"

"I trust you," breathed the queen. "I said I trusted you …" She collected herself. "You say the legendary treasures are to be rediscovered? By whom?"

"The history books do not say, my lady," said the Doctor, "and I think I would prefer it remained that way. But with the guarantee of anonymity, my companion and I would be only too willing to look."

"But how do you know where the treasures are?" Jo burst out.

"That is one thing the history books _do _tell us," the Doctor replied.

"But that's cheating!"

"Oh, I shouldn't worry, it's only a small paradox … If I have your leave, Your Majesty?"

"You have my leave. Bring me the treasures, if you can, and I shall let you live. The Royal Guard will give you transport. Tell them Queen El-Medr requests it."

"My thanks, my lady." The Doctor bowed low, and turned to exit, Jo behind him.

"And – Ar-Doktr?"

"My lady?"

"Good luck."


	3. Part 3

_Part Three_

"So is this treasure real, Doctor?"

"Of course it is, Jo. You know I don't like to lie."

They were flying through the clouds away from the capital city in the opposite direction from that which they had come. Ar-Moqi, Captain of the Royal Guard, had not seemed happy when the Doctor had told him it was the queen's orders that they be given a vehicle, but he had relented. The Doctor had refused his offer of a driver – he would much rather, he said, pilot the craft himself.

"So you're going to go and find this treasure and then take it back to the queen … and then she'll let us go free?"

"I certainly hope so. And sort out 'Ar-Setm' once and for all as well, I hope. Hopefully, if we find the ancient treasures, that'll make El-Medr believe what I've been trying to tell her. He's up to no good, I can tell. History's not fixed, Jo, despite what I told the queen. This could very well be the end of Ar-Amed forever, if that villain has his way …"

"Ar-Setm? Who is he?"

"Come on, Jo, use your brain." And he said no more on the subject.

They flew on for many hours, and it grew darker, until they were flying under a great deep purple sky dotted with strange stars.

"That one," said the Doctor, pointing out a small twinkling dot on the horizon, "is your sun. Puts things in perspective rather, doesn't it?"

They flew on, and the fields below them gave way to a great forest that they could just make out under the light from Ar-Amed's three silvery moons. In the darkness, it was black and unwelcoming.

"We're looking," the Doctor told Jo, "for a mountain, standing alone in the midst of the forest. Ar-Emet-Nataq, they call it, the Treeless Mountain. An active volcano, no plantlife grows on its higher slopes. The books tell us that the lost treasures were discovered in a cave on an island in the middle of a lake at the bottom of the mountain."

"In a cave on an island in the middle of a lake at the bottom of the mountain," Jo repeated. "That sounds pretty exact, I suppose …"

"If I'm right, and it _is_ us that are destined to find the treasure, I was – am –

hardly going to leave instructions I can't follow, am I?"

"I don't get how you can just mess around with time like this."

The Doctor smiled in the darkness. "Strictly speaking, it's not allowed, but no one will ever know. I'm appearing in history and wiping myself from the records to avoid paradoxes all the time – why not do things a bit differently this time, eh?"

They flew on. Then out of the darkness loomed a shape even blacker than its surroundings. "Doctor!" exclaimed Jo. "I think that's it!"

The Doctor peered at the black shape. "Yes, yes, I think it probably is too, Jo. You know, we really shouldn't have done this at night … Come on, let's find the island and get it over with quickly."

They descended, circling the bare mountaintop, with its bowl-like crater at its peak, looking for the glint of water reflecting moonlight lower down. "There!" shouted Jo. "It's there, Doctor, I can see it!"

"I'm taking us down there, Jo. Hold on tight."

The craft zoomed downwards, but its descent was halted by a terrible, echoing cry.

"What was that?" said the Doctor, braking and leaving the flying car hovering in midair.

"I don't know, Doctor," replied Jo, peering through the gloom in all directions. "It didn't sound friendly, whatever it was …"

"No … that's what I'm afraid of … There has to be a reason it's taken so long for the lost treasures to be found. Remember old Ar-Tarmak the Great? He was the one responsible for hiding them, in the war with Gahin the Last of the old dynasty, before the planet was unified under a single ruler …"

"What do you think the reason for no one finding the treasures, Doctor?"

"I don't know, Jo, I can't remember … I must have read it at some point …" The Doctor actually seemed to be panicking slightly. "It was something to do with …" (there was another roar, louder this time) "… dragons …"

An enormous black shape had appeared out of nowhere. Its long, spiny tail swung round as if aiming at the flying car, and the Doctor was forced to reverse upwards at a heart-wrenching rate to escape damage.

"Oh no, Doctor, you didn't mention dragons! What do we do?"

"We do our best not to get hurt."

There was another roar, and the dragon sent another blow at the car, which the Doctor avoided this time by accelerating forwards. Jo peered through the darkness. The 'dragon' certainly looked like one, with a pair of scaly wings and a tail as thick as a log and as long as several large snakes.

"Jo," said the Doctor quietly, "I'm going to try and make a quick landing in the trees. Hold on tight."

They dived downwards. The dragon let out another ear-splitting cry and shot after them. They crashed through the canopy of the trees, but they were not quick enough. The dragon slashed again with its whiplike tail, and this time it caught the back car. Thankfully they were only a few feet from the ground, but the vehicle still lost its balance and span out of control, throwing them to earth.

They landed on a thick, earthy pile of leaves. The Doctor was the first to his feet, and he pulled Jo up as well. "The dragon's not gone yet, I'm afraid," he whispered to her.

He was right. It was still there, sitting above them on a tree branch, caught in the light of one of the three moons: black and scaly, with a long head and a fearsome, many-toothed jaw.

"The Ar-Amed dragons were almost driven to extinction centuries ago," the Doctor whispered in Jo's ear, as if reciting something he had read long ago but only just remembered. "But some survived in the most remote regions. They are primarily carnivores, eating meat whenever they can get it. Their most dangerous weapons are their long tails and their teeth …"

The dragon pounced; Jo leapt and leapt out of the way, dragging the Doctor with her. "I don't really care about that at the moment! I'm more interested in staying alive!"

They scrambled to their feet and ran; the dragon hot on their heels. They were in a thick jungle, with strange trees and vines on all sides, and moving wasn't easy. Ignoring what his companion had said, the Doctor continued to recite a lengthy description of the creature now chasing them.

"It cannot breathe fire, but its bite is particularly venomous, although the crushing force of the jaw is usually enough to kill or severely injure in any case. The Ar-Amed dragon typically lives in pairs. It is capable of flying, running at some speed, and climbing trees, but it is unable to swim."

"Doctor, shut up and run!"

The dragon lurched at them, and its teeth caught the Doctor's cloak. With Jo's help, he pulled away, and the material ripped, leaving the dragon standing stupidly with a piece of checked cloth hanging from its powerful jaws.

"It's not over yet," said the Doctor. "Carry on running!"

They did as he said, but it wasn't long before the dragon was right behind them again. The Doctor grabbed at a tree branch and managed to rip it from the truck. Turning, he gave the dragon a great blow on the noise, and then again, and again. Jo joined him with a smaller branch she had picked up off the floor. Finally, the dragon gave a cry of pain, and turned and flew back off through the canopy of leaves and into the purple sky.

"Let's get back to the car," said the Doctor, adding, as Jo made to put her branch down: "Keep that with you. You might still need it."

They made their way through the trees back to the car, Jo stumbling along in the wake of the Doctor's purposeful strides. Just as they got to the car, another cry split the darkness – and this time it was met with an answering roar. "As I predicted," the Doctor said solemnly. "Jo, get in! Quickly!"

They jumped into the car, just in time to see two dragons diving once more through the canopy. Upon leaving, the first dragon had clearly gone to find its mate. "Doctor!" screamed Jo. "Up!"

The Doctor pressed a button, and the car shot upwards. They burst through the trees, sending leaves and sticks raining down onto the dragons below that help them up at least briefly.

"It is unable to swim," the Doctor was repeating under his breath, "it is unable to swim …"

"Doctor?"

"The lake, Jo, the lake! If we can persuade the dragons to think we've gone _under _the water, they won't follow us!"

"But how –" Jo didn't see how this could be made to work.

"Don't worry, Jo, I have a plan. Just remember – when I say jump, jump!"

The Doctor's keen eyes picked up the glistening lake again easily, and they shot towards it, the dragons swooping and screaming behind them. "Quickly, quickly," he urged the car. "Go on …"

They reached the water, and now they could see the island – about two hundred yards away; the car would cover the distance in seconds. But the Doctor was braking …

"Jo, get ready!"

They were right up close to the island, and suddenly the Doctor accelerated the car again, pointing its nose very slightly downwards and back away from the island. "Jump!"

Jo jumped; the Doctor right behind her. It was only a drop of a few feet and they landed on a small sandy beach on the shore of the island, but the car carried on going, the dragons right behind it – after a few dozen yards the car splashed into the water, and carried on going, disappearing into the depths. The dragons clearly though they had lost their prey, and with a final pair of cries, spiralled back off into the forest.

"They thought we were still in the car!" Jo exclaimed. "That was brilliant, Doctor, simply brilliant."

"Thankyou for the compliment. Now let's find these lost treasures …"

The Doctor set off up the beach. Jo stood up to follow him, but then realised something.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor turned, annoyed. "Yes, Jo? What is it? Oh, come on, will you?"

"Doctor, how on earth are we going to get back? You've sent the car into the water, remember."

"Oh, Jo, why do you always have to worry so much? I wouldn't have crashed the car if I didn't think we could get it back, would I? What do you know about buoyancy, Jo?"

"Well … er … a less dense object floats on a more dense object?"

"Yes, well, when you're making a flying car, you want its average density to be as low as possible so you don't have to put in so much energy to keep it in the air. These things are incredibly light … it only went under the water because of the speed at which it was going when it hit – it's probably floated back up by now already."

"You mean – we can just swim back out to it?"

"Exactly. Or, if you'd rather, _I _can swim out to it and then come back to collect you."

"I think I would rather that, Doctor. I don't really feel like a swim at the moment."

"I didn't think you would. Now come on, Jo."

She followed him up the slope. "Where do you think this cave'll be, Doctor?"

"I have as much idea as you, Jo. However, I think it would be a very good guess to say it might possibly be that large opening in the rock face just there."

He pointed. Sure enough, through the darkness, it was possible to see that the beach rose up to a steep cliff in which one could make out a great shape eerily similar to that of the dragons' jaws from which they had just escaped.

"You mean we have to go in there?" Jo asked nervously.

"I do. Come on, Jo, don't be scared, I'm sure there's nothing to be afraid of." They had reached the opening. "Come on, I'll go first. You follow."

The interior of the cave was dark and wet. Even a few yards in, it was already pitch black, and water dripped from the ceiling, which was enough to make Jo whimper. "Stop being silly," said the Doctor, "we'll be there soon."

But they weren't there as soon as they might have hoped. The cave seemed to be more of a tunnel, and as they went further into it it became even wetter, not to mention the increasingly low ceiling meaning they had to duck to avoid hitting their heads. "I _thought_ the opening looked a bit like a dragon's mouth," said Jo, "this is like the dragon's insides."

"Just be glad they're not the insides of a _real_ dragon," said the Doctor by means of reassurance.

They walked on, and the tunnel seemed to widen. Then, suddenly, it opened up into a small rocky chamber, lit with moonlight from above by a narrow passage through the ceiling. The Doctor stopped as he stepped into this chamber, and Jo almost knocked him over from behind.

"Doctor? What is it?"

Stepping aside, he announced, "I think we've found it."

Jo looked. "Oh," she said.

The Treasures of Ar-Amed were not particularly impressively sized, but upon closer inspection their value was undeniable. There was a golden crown inset with many precious stones, a sword of platinum inset with sapphires and a spear of silver and rubies. There was a jewelled golden cup and plate, and finally a tiny sculpture of an Amedian warrior, made of solid platinum and not six inches high. If the value of the raw materials of the treasure was not great enough, the workmanship made them priceless – each object was a miniature work of art, covered in intricate designs. The treasures reflected the moonlight and glowed mysteriously, making them seem yet more wondrous.

The Doctor smiled at the fabled treasures, and smiled at Jo. "I think we'd better take these back to the queen," he said.


	4. Part 4

_Part Four_

It was nearly dawn by the time they arrived back in front of the royal palace, parking the flying car (somewhat dirtied by the chase by the dragons and its time spent in the lake) next to the drawbridge and hurrying inside, their arms laden with the precious metals and stones which not surprisingly drew suspicious and surprised looks from the red-robed guards, but no one tried to stop them.

They arrived at the door to the throne room to find it manned by a weary looking guard.

"We bring the lost treasures of this planet to present them to your queen, El-Medr," the Doctor announced. Jo giggled at his haughty tone.

The guard stared wide-eyed at the objects they were holding. "No … These can't be … The treasures are only myths …"

"Look closely," said the Doctor, and the guard looked.

"Well, I have to say … Ar-Doktr, I have never seen anything like this before in my life." The guard seemed lost for words. "This – this is amazing. Enter, enter. The queen has been awaiting you all night."

The guard opened the door, and the two travellers walked through it. Sure enough, Queen El-Medr was still sitting on the beautiful throne, though it was nothing next to the objects in the arms of Jo and the Doctor. The queen looked tired, but she brightened up immediately the moment the Doctor and his companion entered.

"Ar-Doktr, you have returned – you have brought the treasures!" She broke into a huge smile. "My ancestors have been kind to me this day! Here, lay them all down in front of me so that I may inspect it more closely."

The Doctor and Jo walked forward and laid out the treasures in front of the throne. El-Medr stepped down from her seat and knelt in front of the row of priceless items, examining each one in turn with a look of increased wonder on her face. When she had finished, she straightened up again and fixed the Doctor straight in the eye.

"Ar-Doktr, I cannot thank you enough. And you too, El-Djo. What in the name of all the kings of Ar-Amed can I do for you in return?"

Jo opened her mouth to speak, but the Doctor got there first.

"Queen El-Medr, I ask only three things of you. Firstly, that you give us our lives as you promised; secondly, that you give us also our freedom; and thirdly, that you demand Ar-Setm show himself and meet justice."

"Yes, you will have all of those things. I shall have a guard bring Ar-Setm to you immediately …"

A man stepped out of the curtain behind the throne. He had a pointed little black beard streaked with white, and cold, piercing eyes. He was dressed in a white robe with a white headdress that strangely suited him. "That will not be necessary," he said coolly. "Ar-Setm is already here."

"Master," breathed Jo. "What are you –?"

"I should think it's obvious what he's doing here," the Doctor said fiercely. "He wants to inflict some diabolical plan on the poor, peaceable citizens of this planet! You've been the power behind the throne of Ar-Amed for some time. It was you who had us arrested, was it not?"

"Of course," said the Master, smiling. "But I had no intention of destroying the planet, Doctor. I only wished to find the treasures. Think – the profit I could make from their sale. And you – you have brought them to me!"

Without warning, he lunged at the golden spear lying on the ground, and thrusted at the Doctor, catching his right forearm. The Doctor let out a gasp of pain and fell to the floor, and with remarkable agility the Master scooped all of the remaining treasures into his arms – a considerable load for one man – and sprinted for the door. "Goodbye, Doctor," he said, turning. "I hope to see you again soon." And then he was gone.

"Are you alright, Doctor?" asked Jo. The Doctor nodded. El-Medr was still staring at the door through which the Master had taken the treasures.

"My guards will stop him."

"No, they won't," panted the Doctor. "They know him as the queen's great advisor Ar-Setm – which is of course an anagram of the word 'Master', you should have realised that, Jo – why should they try to stop him?"

"I am sorry, Ar-Doktr, I did not realise …"

"Of course you didn't, very few people do. I don't blame you. Remember what I said, El-Medr, you are be a great queen …" The Doctor clutched at his bleeding arm. "That spear cuts remarkably well for a purely ceremonial weapon …"

"Doctor, we have to do something," said Jo urgently.

"Yes … yes, Jo … you're right … come on, run!"

And without even stopping to glance back at the queen, the Doctor dragged himself to his feet and sped off through the door and down the long corridor, Jo at his heels. They burst through the golden front door onto the drawbridge, but the Master had gone – and so had the flying car.

"He's taken it, he's taken the car." Jo pointed into the distance. They could see the vehicle speeding its way out of the front gate of the city, into the sunrise.

"We'll take another one," said the Doctor, still clutching his arm, nodding towards a second flying car hovering nearby. "Get in, quickly. You'll have to drive, I'm afraid, Jo, with my arm like this … just copy what I did earlier as best you can … Yes, it's that button there to start."

Jo pressed the button as hard as she could, and the car lurched into life, and soon they were speeding after the Master, rocking uncontrollably from side to side as Jo tried to learn how to control the vehicle.

"I don't like this, I don't like this at all …" she muttered.

"Just keep on going straight ahead, straight ahead!" the Doctor ordered, now wrapping his injury in a white silk handkerchief.

"I'm trying … I never imagined I'd learn to drive a flying car at all, and I certainly never imagined I'd learn like this!"

They sped off, through the front gate, across the red fields now illuminated by the early morning light of the white sun.

"I can't catch him, Doctor, he's going too fast …"

The vehicle was not of the same model as the one they'd been in earlier and which the Master had now stolen, and it did not seem to be capable of the same speeds.

"Don't worry, Jo, if I'm right about something we should catch up with him eventually …"

"Have you any idea where he's going?" Jo asked, her hair whipping across her face.

"He seems to be heading to the coast … I doubt he'll get that far …"

"What d'you mean?"

"You'll see … you'll see …"

They sped on, but they did not seem to be gaining on their quarry. The expansive mauve sea was in sight now, and the Master showed no signs of stopping.

"Doctor!" shouted Jo over the roar of the engines. "When you said about him not getting to the coast, I think you were wrong."

"Carry on, Jo … it won't be long now … I think it's starting already!"

The Doctor pointed with his uninjured hand. The Master's craft seemed, impossibly, to be slowing.

"What's happening, Doctor?"

"You'll see, you'll see." The Doctor was smiling despite his injury.

They were gaining on the Master now, getting closer to him by the second. "Doctor – he's stopping!" exclaimed Jo. "He's stopping, he's stopping – he's stopped!" Sure enough, the Master's car had come to a halt hovering above the waves of the sea, about a hundred yards from the clifftops, and a small figure could be seen jumping up and down angrily inside it. Jo let out a whoop of delight. "Doctor! He's run out of petrol!"

"Well, it won't be petrol, but whatever fuel these flying cars use, yes. I thought he might … we were in that car all night, and it won't have reacted all that well to being completely submerged … I knew it would run out of fuel sooner or later."

They glided up level with the Master's vehicle, whose occupant was now sitting angrily in the passenger seat and drumming his fingers on the dashboard. "So, Doctor … you have defeated me again …"

"You put up a good fight, I'll give you that. Come on, hand over the treasures …"

Reluctantly, the Master did so. He grimaced, then stood up. "Doctor … you are going to regret this …"

He launched himself at his rival, but it was a mistake. The Doctor swung at him with his uninjured arm, a ferocious karate chop that sent the bearded Time Lord collapsing to his knees, and then, tipping forward, falling into the sea a hundred feet below …

"Not a bad dive," commented the Doctor, looking down. "He'll have fun swimming to shore in those robes …"


	5. Part 5

_Part Five_

Jo drove the Doctor back to the palace, where his wound was properly treated and Queen El-Medr thanked him profusely.

"If you ever wish to return to Ar-Amed, you will of course be welcome. And you too, El-Djo."

Jo smiled at her. "Thanks very much."

"Maybe I will name my _second_ daughter after you …" She paused, then continued, "Ar-Doktr, are we safe from Ar-Setm now?"

"I can't promise you he won't try anything," said the Doctor, "but his main motivation for being here is lost, it seems. The treasures will be well guarded, I trust?"

"Of course."

"Then you probably have little to fear from him … It will be another planet's turn to suffer now … but trust me, I will be there to stop him."

"Ar-Doktr, I have one last apology to make," said the queen. "On Ar-Setm's orders, I had specifically requested that any strange stories be reported to me – and thence to him – immediately. I believe he must have been aware that you might make a visit. That was the reason the rumour of your presence came to us so quickly."

The Doctor seemed to be considering something for a few moments. "Yes … the Master needed someone who knew of the whereabouts of the lost treasures, but he did not want to risk his own life … I wonder if it was not wholly accidental that we landed here after all … perhaps he had a part in it."

"I cannot comment," said the queen. "I know nothing of time travel and other planets. All I can do is say, once more, that if you ever wish – deliberately, this time – to return to our planet, I will allow no man to try and stop you."

She bowed her head, and departed, leaving the Doctor and Jo alone.

"Well, _Ar-Doktr_," Jo said jokingly. "Are we going now?"

The Doctor nodded gravely. "Yes, El-Djo. Although I would rather like a chance to study those dragons more closely …"

"Well, all I can say is that you're not getting it so long as I'm with you. Let's go."

THE END


End file.
